The powerful opioid Fentanyl is being used illegally more and more and is running rampant through the United States and also in the Permian Basin.
"It’s a horrible drug and it kills people and a lot of folks don’t realize how bad it is," Midland Police Officer Chane Blandford said. "I’ve dealt with it personally when I was on patrol with people overdosing, taking prescription pills that were not prescribed to them, pain killers that were laced with fentanyl and almost dying from it."
Since it's a drug on the streets and also inside schools, kids and teens are able to get their hands on it. Local law enforcement urges you to check in on your kids.
"It’s okay to be nosy, a good parent is a nosy parent," Officer Blandford said. "A good parent is someone who goes into their kids bedroom and searches their bedroom. A good parent is someone that goes into their kids car and searches their car. Look through every nook and cranny. Anyplace anything could be hidden."
If you do find fentanyl in their possession, be careful and inform law enforcement.
"If you come across something don’t touch it," Officer Blandford said. "If it looks like a prescription pill, don’t touch it, it could be laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl. So it’s best to use rubber gloves if you’re gonna do that if you come across something like that and [if] you’re in serious concern there’s nothing wrong with giving us a call."
Overall, keep you and your children informed on the dangers of the drug.
"Educate your kids on what to look for, educate your young teens, your 5th [and] 6th graders. Those are the ones that are going to be going into these schools into junior year into the freshman schools into the high schools," Officer Blandford said. "Educate them now. Let them understand how serious this is and how much you love them because once they’re gone it’s too late to educate."